EAST TIMOR: ARMY OFFICIAL, MILITIA LEADER MUST HAND IN WEAPONS SAYS PM

Dili, 15 Nov. (AKI) - East Timor Prime Minister, Jose Ramos-Horta
accused renegade soldier, Major Alfredo Reinado Alves and civilian militia
group leader, Vicente "Railos" da Conceicao, of still holding
weapons and urged them to surrender them. "I have credible
information that Major Reinado and Railos groups are still holding
automatic weapons and I do not know what for. To stop the bloodshed in
East Timor, I urge them to hand the rest of the weapons to the
international troops or UNPOL (United Nation police)," Ramos-Horta
told Adnkronos International (AKI).

Australian-trained Major Reinado deserted on 4 May 2006 to join
approximately 600 former soldiers who had been sacked after complaining of
discrimination in promotions. Their dismissal started the East Timor
crisis. Arrested for his role in the violence, Major Reinado is still at
large after having escaped from prison on 30 August.

Vicente "Railos" da Conceicao is the leader of a civilian
militia allegedly set up by former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri to get rid
of his political adversaries.

Both Major Reinado and Vicente "Railos" da Conceicao have
allegedly handed in their weapons in the past few months.

Horta underlined that a failure to comply with his ultimatum will lead
to dire consequences.

"It is the international troops' duty to hunt down people who have
no right to hold weapons like Major Alfredo and the Railos group. There
will be no mercy for them if they are still holding weapons," Ramos-Horta
told AKI adding that the two rebels were hiding in the forests.

The premier's words angered militia leader "Railos" da
Conceicao, met by Adnkronos International in his house in Liquica town.

Railos, who said that he never left his town, defined Ramos-Horta as
"a not very intelligent man," and said that the prime minister
has no evidence and does not really want to solve the problem.

"I never left Liquica town and run to the forest as Horta said. My
group and I handed over our weapons to the international troops in front
of Horta himself and other dignitaries in July. How can he still accuse me
of holding weapons? This is a serious accusation," he told AKI.

"Horta is not very cleaver and lacks the political will to solve
the problem," Railos added.

Railos militia's weapons were distributed from a branch of the security
apparatus arsenal. In the meantime, UNMIT acting Administrator, Finn Reske-Nielsen
in Dili confirmed that 96 percent of the weapons have now been collected
and are accounted for.

"Well over 3,000 weapons have been collected already, including
the vast majority of the long-barrel weapons," Reske-Nielsen told
AKI.

However, UNPOL commissioner in East Timor, Antero Lopes, said that
there are some 200 weapons that belong to national police still
unaccounted for.

"About 200 of the PNTL [East Timor police]'s weapons that have
been distributed have not been recovered yet and we are tracing
them," Lopes added.